Tag: conversation

Today I’m sharing a picture of a simple speckled tea cup from Pinterest. This is part of my personal collection.

Today in my meditation on the Eternal Curse, I’m writing about: Why the Internet?

I’ve never met someone online and then ended up in a romantic relationship with them. I have a few people online, whom I consider to be friends, but I have not made arrangements to meet these people in person (some of them live oceans away). I am not an advocate for internet socializing or dating, but from a networking point of view, it’s where the world is and where the world is headed.

I have had more in depth conversations with complete strangers, at times, than I have with people I’ve known for twenty years because of the Internet. I’m not an overly trusting person, but I like to connect on a certain level and the Internet makes that so much simpler. In my book, Giovanni and Mira find each other while using social media, each in search of something. I believe if you look for something long enough, you’ll find what you need.

Mira doesn’t run to the internet for comfort because she’s some sort of social outcast with no other options. She utilizes the internet for its anonymity. Giovanni, on the other hand, is a social outcast, but not because he wants to be or because he refuses to get along with others or conform to social norms. Giovanni also uses the internet for its anonymity because he knows that the world isn’t ready for someone like him.

In the visual world in which we live, a supermodel and middle school custodian may have loads of things in common: from the movies they like, the books they read, the drinks they prefer, and even the clothes they admire. Unfortunately, these two vastly different categorized public personas don’t look right next to one another, so they’ll never meet and get to know each other…But online a woman and a man can both share a pin on Pinterest for a baseball cap, rate and review the same Netflix movie a five, and “Like” a strangers post about having a bad day, because somewhere down the line, they connected.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Today I’m sharing a picture of iced lemon tea from Pinterest.

Today in my meditation on the Eternal Curse, I’m writing about: Why flashbacks?

Much of the background of the characters and the story is told through flashback, many where one character verbally recounts the events. This story covers a large span of time and only focuses on three main characters. If the story had been told chronologically, most of the book would have only included one character, Giovanni.

One reason why I like using flashbacks in this story is because it gives a more personal account of the events taking place. The flashbacks are experienced from an individual point of view.  Since the whole story is narrated by an unseen party, it’s clear that the story is not being told from experience, but rather from history. The narrator is telling a story that he or she has learned about over the years, has read about, and or was told.

Another reason why I like the use of flashbacks in this story is because it offers a break from the monotony of the current struggle. Of course the struggle eventually changes in some way either for good or bad, but until the climax is reached, it’s a lot of same melancholy expression repeated.

I honestly tried not to overuse the flashback technique, but it’s there quite a bit. By using this technique, the reader is able to jump back and forth through time, gathering up all the high points in the story or a character’s life, without having to sit through pages of everything in between.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Today I’m sharing a picture of my tea box uploaded onto Pinterest.

Today in my meditation on the Eternal Curse, I’m writing about: Why Giovanni?

There are so many reasons why Giovanni is the main character of my Eternal Curse Series. First off, there’s the dream. I had a dream about a gray man and for some reason, I felt like his name began with the letter ‘G’. I tried out several different names, but when I came across Giovanni, it just felt right.

Secondly, the meaning of his name means God is gracious. Now, I had no idea of this when I started using the name and completed my first draft. I figured this out much later. Once you’ve read the story, it’s quite clear that Giovanni must be walking in some kind of grace, whether it be God’s or not. His character, as strange and dark as he is, doesn’t make it through life in one piece without some kind of luck or grace on his side.

Lastly, he’s somewhat of a mutt, in the best possible way. There are other characters in the series that are just as interesting as Giovanni, but only he really has all the qualities that bring the rest characters together either through companionship, association, competition, or opposition.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords